ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Cabinet
Cabinet approves Amendment of in the Customs and Excise Act, relating to abolition of cesses and surcharges on various goods and services to facilitate implementation of GST Regime
Cabinet approves Amendment of in the Customs and Excise Act, relating to abolition of cesses and surcharges on various goods and services to facilitate implementation of GST Regime
(Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has approved the following proposals:
i. Amendment to the Customs Act, 1962;
ii. Amendments to the Customs Tariff Act, 1975;
iii. Amendment to the Central Excise Act, 1944;
iv. Repeal of the Central Excise Tariff Act, 1985; and
v. Amendment or repeal of the provisions relating to Acts under which cesses are levied.
The above proposals will result in the following benefits:
i. Insertion of Sections 108A and 108B in the Customs Act, 1962 seeks to provide for furnishing of information relating to import/export of goods by specified persons to enable analysis and detection of cases of unter/over-valuation in imports and exports, misuse of export promotion schemes including the Drawback Scheme and violations of the provisions of the Customs Act and various other laws under which Customs officials have been authorized to effectively implement these laws; and
ii. Amendments or repeal of various provisions of other Acts which will no longer be relevant consequent upon roll out of GST will result in cleansing of the irrelevant portions from the Statute Book and reduce multiplicity of taxes.
Ministry of Finance
Auction for Sale  of  ‘7.17% GS 2030’,  ‘7.18% GS 2037’, and  ‘7.25% GS 2063’
The Government of India  has announced the sale  of  “7.17% Government Security 2030” for a notified amount of Rs 7,000 crore  through price based auction using uniform price method,  “7.18% Government Security 2037” for a notified amount of Rs 12,000 crore  through price based auction using uniform price method and  “7.25% Government Security 2063” for a notified amount of Rs 12,000 crore  through price based auction using multiple price method. GoI will have the option to retain additional subscription up to Rs. 2,000 crore against each security mentioned above. The auctions will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai Office, Fort, Mumbai on August 18, 2023 .
Up to 5% of the notified amount of the sale of the securities will be allotted to eligible individuals and institutions as per the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding Facility in the Auction of Government Securities.
Both competitive and non-competitive bids for the auction should be submitted in electronic format on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution  system on August 18, 2023. The non-competitive bids should be submitted between 10:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. and the competitive bids should be submitted between 10:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
The result of the auctions will be announced on August 18, 2023  and payment by successful bidders will be on August 21, 2023 .
The Securities will be eligible for “When Issued” trading in accordance with the guidelines on ‘When Issued transactions in Central Government Securities’ issued by the Reserve Bank of India vide circular No. RBI/2018-19/25 dated July 24, 2018 as amended from time to time.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
NIUA’s C-Cube and WRI India launch the India Forum for Nature-Based Solutions
National Institute of Urban Affairs  and World Resources Institute India  launch national platform to mainstream ecosystem-based services and nature-based solutions to build urban climate resilience
The National Institute of Urban Affairs’  Climate Centre for Cities , World Resources Institute India  and their partners today launched India’s first national coalition platform for urban nature-based solutions  at the 11th World Urban Forum in Poland.
Ecosystem-based services and Nature-Based Solutions are fast emerging as cost-effective and sustainable ways to address climate change induced challenges such as heat, urban flooding, air and water pollution and storm surges. Along with mitigating the impact of climate change, NbS also helps in providing multiple ecosystem benefits along with addressing various societal challenges including building resilience of the underserved and vulnerable urban communities who are most affected by climate change induced catastrophes.
The India Forum for Nature-based Solutions aims to create a collective of NbS entrepreneurs, government entities and like-minded organisations, to help scale urban nature-based solutions by
- Defining a shared language and by communicating benefits that inform actions at the local level including scaling up of existing NbS interventions.
- Driving investment and strengthening delivery mechanisms through multi-stakeholder coordination.
- Mainstreaming urban ecosystem-based services and nature-based solutions in India through informing policy, plans and project interventions
At the platform launch event, Shri Hitesh Vaidya, Director, NIUA said, “It is important that we have a low-cost and sustainable approach when we work on climate action and increasing our green cover. It is here that nature-based solutions  should be prioritized as part of India’s resilience and adaptation strategy.”
The event saw representatives, from core partner organisations such as GiZ India, India Climate Collaborative, The Nature Conservancy, WWF India and Wetlands International, pledge their efforts towards collaboratively achieving the Forum’s objectives.
Speaking about the Forum, WRI India CEO, Dr. O.P. Agarwal noted, “Combining the strengths and resources of the Forum’s core partners can tackle key capacity challenges faced by the entire ecosystem. This will enable a more focused approach in mainstreaming and scaling urban NbS, while also helping amplify individual organizational efforts.”
‘India Forum for Nature-based Solutions’ is led by the National Institute of Urban Affairs’ Climate Centre for Cities  and anchored by World Resources Institute India  under the Cities4Forests initiative. It is supported by Caterpillar Foundation, Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs , Govt. of United Kingdom and Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative .
President's Secretariat
Faculty and course members of 62nd NDC course call on the President
The faculty and course members of 62nd National Defence College Course, called on the President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu, at Rashtrapati Bhavan today .
Addressing the gathering, the President said that security is a term which we often use in our conversations. But it has wide ramifications. Its interpretation has expanded drastically in the past decades. What was limited to mere territorial integrity has now come to be seen in political and economic contexts also. Thus, the aim of the NDC course to study “strategic, economic, scientific, political and industrial aspects of national defence” is even more relevant today. She was happy to note that the NDC course has over the years lived up to its aim of educating its participants to have a deep understanding of these issues.
Noting that the 62nd NDC Course has 62 participants from the armed forces, 20 from civil services, 35 from friendly foreign countries and 1 from corporate sector, she said that it is this unique feature of this course which has made it win immense appreciation. She said that it gives the course members an opportunity to know different perspectives, thereby widening the horizons of their thoughts and understanding.
The President said that we are in a dynamic world where even a small change can have a wide impact. Sometimes, it can have safety and security connotations. The pace and tide of the Covid pandemic is just an example of the threat which the humanity faces today. It makes us realize the vulnerability of humankind. Every threat makes us think about the need to fight it and prevent its recurrence. We need to prepare ourselves to face not just the traditional threats but even the unseen ones which also include the vagaries of nature. Climate change and sustainable development are issues which are of prime importance today. It is the need of the hour that countries across the board should come together and work out solutions for them. It is at this point that the strategic policies coincide with the foreign policies of the countries. It is a multi-discipline and multi-dimensional approach for which we need to equip ourselves.
The President said that India as a nation is taking strides to become an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Various policy initiatives are being implemented to make this vision possible. It is this vision which brings India on the path of development and progress. She said that it was a proud moment for each Indian when recently the first indigenously built aircraft carrier, Vikrant, was inducted in the Indian Navy. Such steps bring a fresh hope and inspiration in the people of India. She expressed confidence that we would continue to tread this path of progress in a steadfast manner.
Click here to see the President's Speech
Ministry of Earth Sciences
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh calls on Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in New Delhi and discuss the progress of Ujh Multipurpose Project in Kathua region of Jammu & Kashmir
On the request of Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh a high level meeting was held at the Jal Shakti Mantralaya to review the progress of work at Ujh Multipurpose  Project in Kathua region of Jammu & Kashmir. The meeting was co-chaired by Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh and was also attended, among others, by Union Secretary Jal Shakti Ministry.
After several rounds of meetings in the last few years, Central Water Commission did a detailed techno-economic review of the project and the revised proposal was accepted in the 148th TAC meeting held in January, 2022 at an estimated cost of Rs. 11,907.77 crore. The expected timeline of completion of the project is about 6 years and once completed, the project will store around 781 Million Cubic meter of waters of river Ujh .
After completion of the project, utilization of waters of Eastern Rivers allotted to India as per the Indus Water Treaty would be enhanced by utilizing of the flow that presently goes across border to Pakistan.
In an earlier meeting chaired by Dr Jitendra Singh in Jammu in 2020, it was decided that an alternate Canal System or Command System will be planned and the DPR accordingly modified so that the surplus water not utilized by the parts of Kathua district should not inadvertently flow into Pakistan. He said, with the Shahpur-Kandi project having already taken off, when the Ujh-Multipurpose project also becomes functional, the entire Kandi belt in district Kathua and adjoining parts of district Samba will become fully irrigated and, in fact irrigation and power surplus.
Pertinent to mention that the Ujh-Multipurpose Project had been held up for several decades and was revived after intervention by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Since then, it was being constantly followed up by Dr Jitendra Singh and at his behest, several high level meetings were held since 2014 to remove the minor bottlenecks.
Dr Jitendra Singh also flagged the issue of Har Ghar Nal se Jal in Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Lok Sabha Constituency with Shri Shekhawat. During the meeting, it was desired that Jal Jeevan Mission shall be implemented in Mission Mode for 100% piped water connection to the public by expediting the tendering process.
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SNC/RR
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Ministry of Finance
Monthly Review of Accounts of the Government of India upto September 2022 for the Financial Year 2022-23
The Monthly Account of the Union Government of India upto the month of September, 2022 has been consolidated and reports published. The highlights are given below:-
The Government of India has received ₹12,03,748 crore  upto September, 2022 comprising ₹10,11,961 crore Tax Revenue , ₹1,57,600 crore of Non-Tax Revenue and ₹34,187 crore of Non-Debt Capital Receipts. Non-Debt Capital Receipts consists of Recovery of Loans of ₹9,597 crore and Miscellaneous Capital Receipts of ₹24,590 crore. ₹3,76,106 crore has been transferred to State Governments as Devolution of Share of Taxes by Government of India upto this period which is ₹1,15,960 crore higher than the previous year.
Total Expenditure incurred by Government of India is ₹18,23,597 crore , out of which ₹14,80,708 crore is on Revenue Account and ₹3,42,889 crore is on Capital Account. Out of the Total Revenue Expenditure, ₹4,36,682 crore is on account of Interest Payments and ₹1,98,879 crore is on account of Major Subsidies.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs
MCA amends provisions related to Differential Voting Rights under Companies Act
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs has amended the provisions relating to issue of shares with Differential Voting Rights  provisions under the Companies Act with the objective of enabling promoters of Indian companies to retain control of their companies in their pursuit for growth and creation of long-term value for shareholders, even as they raise equity capital from global investors.
The key change brought about through the amendments to the Companies  Rules brings in an enhancement in the previously existing cap of 26% of the total post issue paid up equity share capital to a revised cap of 74% of total voting power in respect of shares with Differential Voting Rights of a company.
Another key change brought about is the removal of the earlier requirement of distributable profits for 3 years for a company to be eligible to issue shares with Differential Voting Rights.
The above two initiatives have been taken by the Government in response to requests from innovative tech companies & startups and to strengthen the hands of Indian companies and their promoters who have lately been identified by deep pocketed investors worldwide for acquisition of controlling stake in them to gain access to the cutting edge innovation and technology development being undertaken by them.
The Government had noted that such Indian promoters have had to cede control of companies which have prospects of becoming Unicorns, due to the requirements of raising capital through issue of equity to foreign investors.
Alongside the above two changes, another major step taken is that the time period within which Employee Stock Options  can be issued by Startups recognized by the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade  to promoters or Directors holding more than 10% of equity shares, has been enhanced from 5 years to 10 years from the date of their incorporation.
Prime Minister's Office
PM's greetings on Jyeshtha Ashtami
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has greeted all, specially the Kashmiri Pandit community, on the auspicious occasion of Jyeshtha Ashtami.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said :
"On the auspicious occasion of Jyeshtha Ashtami, greetings and best wishes to everyone, particularly the Kashmiri Pandit community. We bow to Mata Kheer Bhawani and pray for everybody’s health and wellness."
Prime Minister's Office
PM to interact with IPS probationers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy on 31st July
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will address the IPS probationers at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy on 31st July 2021, at 11 AM via video conferencing. He will also interact with the probationers during the event.
Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah and Minister of State  Shri Nityanand Rai will be present on the occasion.
About SVPNPA
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy  is the premier Police Training Institution in the country. It trains officers of the Indian Police Service at induction level and conducts various in-service courses for serving IPS Officers.
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
ACTIVITIES OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE  DURING PREPARATORY PHASE FROM 15TH TO 30TH SEPTEMBER 2023 UNDER SPECIAL CAMPAIGN 3.0
Special Campaign 3.0 was launched by Minister of State for Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances,Dr. Jitender Singh at National Media Centre, New Delhi on 14.09.2023 for minimizing pendency in Government offices. Special Campaign 3.0 is being implemented in two  phases namely Preparatory Phase from 15th - 30th September, 2023 and Main Phase from 2nd - 31st October, 2023.
For the Preparatory Phase, Nodal Officers of all Division and of Subordinate / Attached Offices, PSU, Autonomous Bodies and Authorities under the administrative control of DA&FW have been asked to identify the pendency as per the parameters of DARPG’s guidelines. One PIB Note and more than 100 Tweets on preparatory phase have already been released by this Department and its Attached/Subordinate/ Field Offices etc. on various social media platforms, such as, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Koo, Facebook, Threads, Public app, etc. Secretary  along with Additional Secretary & Joint Secretary visited various floors in Krishi Bhawan to review cleanliness of Building.
A Team comprising of Nodal Officer and other Officers/Officials of DA&FW also visited Department’s Record Room and it was observed that out of 23343 File lying in Record Room, 8130 old files are to be reviewed.
Till date 3 VC Meetings under the chairmanship of Joint Secretary along with Nodal Officer of Department, were held with all Nodal Officers of different Divisions of the Department & its Attached & Subordinate Offices and they were requested to furnish the given targets regarding cleanliness sites, space management, disposal of scrap & redundant items, disposal of references from MPs, State Governments, Inter-Ministerial references, Parliament Assurances, PMO References, Public Grievances and its Appeals, and Record Management, etc. for the Preparatory Phase.
During the Preparatory Phase from 15th to 30th Sept., 2023, the following parameters/targets have been identified in respect of the Divisions of DA&FW and its Subordinate / Attached Offices, PSU, Autonomous Bodies and Authorities for the the special campaign 3.0:
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S. No.
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Parameters
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Targets
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-
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No. of cleanliness campaign sites
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1000
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-
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Number of pending references from MPs
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26
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-
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Number of pending references from State Governments
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06
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-
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Number of pending Inter-Ministerial Reference
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01
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-
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Pending Parliamentary Assurances
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14
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-
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Pending PMO References
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01
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-
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Number of Rules/Processes identifying for simplification
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01
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-
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Pending Public Grievances
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2273
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-
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Pending PG Appeals
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27
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-
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Number of files to be reviewed
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21041
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-
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Number of e-files to be reviewed
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500
The Main Phase will start from 2nd October, 2023 and sincere and dedicated efforts will be made to achieve the given targets identified in Preparatory Phase for Special Campaign 3.0 in respect of all Divisions/field and outstation offices under the administrative control of DA&FW.
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
Standards for Safety Evaluation of Hydrogen Fuel cells based vehicles notified
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has notified the Standards for Safety Evaluation of vehicles being propelled by Hydrogen Fuel cells through an amendment to Central Motor Vehicles Rules 1989 made vide GSR  Dated 23rd September, 2020.
This would facilitate the promotion of Hydrogen Fuel Cell based vehicles in the country which are energy efficient and environment friendly.
The prospective manufacturer and suppliers of such vehicles have the standards available for the testing of such vehicles. These standards are also at par with the available international standards.
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
Safety Norms under PMUY
LPG distributors instructed by OMCs to release LPG connections after satisfying and meeting all the safety norms for installation
The Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas, Shri Rameswar Teli in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today informed that the LPG distributors have been instructed by Public Sector Oil Marketing Companies  to release LPG connections after satisfying and meeting all the safety norms for installation of LPG connections. Provisions, norms and steps taken to ensure safe usage of LPG, inter-alia, include:
 Grant of approval of manufacturing units of LPG cylinders, valves and LPG regulators and design of these equipments, licensing of storage premises, cylinder testing and filling etc. is regulated under Gas cylinder rules 2016.
 Safe usage of LPG cylinders by Domestic LPG consumers, including PMUY beneficiaries are governed under Liquefied Petroleum Gas  Order 2000.
 LPG cylinders are periodically tested for safety as per norms of the Chief Controller of Explosives, Petroleum & Explosive Safety Organisation.
 Supply of a laminated safety card with pictorial depictions of do’s and don’ts related to LPG connection to every PMUY beneficiary at the time of releasing LPG connections. Installation of LPG connection at premises of the customer by a trained mechanic.
 Organisation of Safety clinics by distributor to spread awareness about safety aspects of LPG. Establishment of helpline number  for immediate action in case of any emergency related to LPG leakage complaints.
 Organisation of mass awareness programmes on safe usage of LPG through audio-video/print media, banners/hoardings, leaflets, pamphlets, etc.
 Organisation of Pradhan Mantri LPG Panchayats in villages to spread awareness about safe and sustained usage of LPG amongst PMUY beneficiaries.
Ministry of Electronics & IT
Telecom Investors’ Roundtable in Mumbai to explore the Indian 5G Opportunity
Mumbai, 29 July 2022
A Telecom Investors’ Roundtable focusing on Investment Opportunity in 5G operations and Telecom Reforms is being held in Mumbai on 30th July 2022. The event will be attended by Union Minister for Communications and Electronics & Information Technology, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, and industrialists, investors, bankers, venture capitalists and senior Government officials among others.
It will be a full-day event with technology demonstrations from selected Startups and MSMEs. Panel discussions are being held on Investment Opportunities in 5G Era, Telecom Sector Reforms and Telecom Infrastructure: Accelerating 5G Led Growth.
The Union Minister will have a roundtable meeting with leading Telecom service providers, Industrialists, bankers and investors discussing scope for bringing investments within the telecom sector. The Minister will also address the valedictory session of the roundtable.
The session on investment opportunities is focussed on the investment opportunity within the 5G ecosystem, localization & security of telecom equipment design & manufacturing, 5G use cases in India and promoting innovation through creating of a robust start-up ecosystem within the Telecom sector.
In another session, Government’s efforts towards various reforms in telecom sector will be exhaustively discussed. It will focus on how a favourable atmosphere will develop by simplifying the licensing regime, by simplifying the Right of Way  approval and through 100% Foreign Direct Investment through automatic route in telecom sector.
A tech-walk and product briefing from home-grown start-ups is arranged displaying an array of products having up-coming tech features including 5G products.
Government has issued a set of telecom reforms during the past one year. Department of Telecom has started the process of 5G spectrum auction which is likely to be completed by the end of the July 2022.
The roundtable agenda can be found herePIB Mumbai | DJM/DR
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